Goal: Make 8K by September 18th to move up to 400NL.
This is an ambitious goal, but I figure I might as well set the bar high. Thanks to Zook for encouraging me to take shots. Hopefully I can get some responses/constructive criticism as I could really use the help. I don't get a lot of respect here despite being a winning player so it would be nice to learn why, but of course more importantly get better ;p
I was a losing 25/50nl player in october, then got better via FTR to be break even. I planned on moving my roll to Full Tilt in February but got my whole roll frozen in Netteller. I quit for 6 weeks and one day opened PS, forgetting I had $12 left in my Pokerstars account which I played SnG with that i placed in. I took those winnings to the 10NL tables and built a BR to $200 with for 25NL. I grinded for awhile up to $600, then lost a bunch, and seesawed for about 2 months going from 25 to 50nl until May when I solidly played 50NL. In June since I was doing well I moved to 100NL. I weathered a 10 buyin downswing and stayed profitable, and this July zook suggested I try 200NL.
I am now up $1900 4 days into moving up to 200NL. I know I'm probably catching some good cards, but I'm also playing well and getting away from hands when behind. I've hit a 4 buyin downswing and 3 buyin downswing and bounced back while keeping a positive attitude.
I'll be posting weekly updates on how my BR is doing, plus interesting hands.
First, I want to talk strategy and adjustments.
Seems like I'm doing well with my 200NL move because:
- Nobody is really adjusting to my play.
- I have done well as a result of adjusting to opponents play.
- The player pool is smaller and players stay longer at tables I get to know players and their tendencies much better than at lower limits.
My adjustments:
- Avoid fighting over small pots as much because a lot of aggressive players do this and I don't find the pots worth enough versus the risk to RR them. This helps me when I do have a hand, I let them hang themselves and it inflates my medium pots enough to make up for the small pots I give up on.
- If my read is aggressive player has air, let him fire away if I have a good hand like 2p and he often over-fires or overplays his hand if I act passive, as he's gotten me to fold in the past. Love turn check/raises on them
- Tighten up to 17-21%, since everyone is so aggressive it seems a lot easier to get paid on my good hands. Lately I have been more like 15-19%, which I never have done before. 15% seems RIDICULOUS to me, and I would think this would be easy for others to adjust to, but they don't seem to notice because when I do enter the pot it's usually with a healthy 4xbb raise. So they forget I'm folding a lot unless they have a hud, and notice me raising at least as much as anyone except if a laggy player is at the table.
I'm raising any PP, sc 78s or better, AQ/AK in all positions.
Hand ranges:
no limping, all raises unless I have a marginal hand or low pp with limper behind
UTG - All pp, AJS+ folding AJo. SC's 89+, sometimes suited broadway cards depending on the table.
MP - the same as UTG except I will play AJo and A10s, but it depends on table.
CO - Depends if folded to me, limped, or raised. Very wide if limped or folded, tighter if raised to. All pp, suited ace 10+ Any suited broadway combo, connectors: 78s+, one gappers 79+, occasionally a 2 gapper on a passive table.
Button - Depends if folded to me, limped, or raised. Very wide if limped or folded, tighter if raised to. All pp, suited ace 10+ Any suited broadway combo, connectors: 56s+, one gappers 78+, some 2 gapper. If folded to, I raise a range too big to write, but not trashy hands.
3 bet range - JJ+ AKs. I haven't been 3 betting AKo because a lot of people have been calling me down with pp and I feel like I can extract a lot of value from weaker aces if I don't 3bet AKo. I don't like playing AK/AQ for huge pots, I like taking small/medium pots with them and having my SC's and pp for big pots.
AKo 3betting just seems like its not that EV+, if it is it seems marginal and hard for me to play at the moment. Often we're up against a PP who will at least call our cbet. Then some crafty players will call a turn, and we have to consider a 3 barrell if we blanked out. When we do hit, it's usually obvious and opponent folds pretty quick. Not a lot of deception, and a lot of money is put up when we don't hit the flop much. I don't like 3 betting AKo, especially not AQ, even AQs. I think there is more value in the small/medium pots keeping other hands around with them. Everyone expects you to 3bet them, and when you don't they assume you can't have AK/AQ cuz you woulda 3bet.
- I avoid calling the raises of others if I am holding easily dominated broadway cards unless they are suited/connected
I'll start it off with a hand that has an interesting history --
This was against Dayninja, a good 200NL reg who bets hard and cbets a lot. Definitely capable of making moves on people, and raising at weakness. Earlier in the day I got sick of him and left a table he was at, definitely takes control of a table, which I often don't mind (these people often overplay and pay off) but he was putting me to a lot of tough decisions and I sought softer action. Later he was at some good tables so I sat down anyway -- at 2 tables. At another table he was the PF raiser 3 times and 3 times I re-raised his flop Cbet by 3x. Twice he folded and once he called and C/F the turn. Since he is a strong player I assumed he was steaming and so next time I re-raised his cbet, it was going to be with a top grade hand like a set, 2p, or TPGK because I expected him to push next time I re-raised his flop cbets. I wasn't going to slowplay, I had the perfect setup next time I had the goods.
Well, luckily enough this happened 3 hands later. I knew when the flop hit EXACTLY how this hand would go, and knew exactly how to play it.
$2 BB (6 handed)
MP ($200)
CO ($278.15)
Hero ($332.15)
SB ($206.15)
BB ($120)
UTG ($203.25)
Preflop: Hero is Button with 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif, 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/heart.gif.
1 fold, MP raises to $7, 1 fold, Hero calls $7, 2 folds.
Flop: ($17) 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 2http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players)
MP bets $12, Hero raises to $30, MP raises to $193, Hero calls $163.
Turn: ($403) Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif (2 players)
River: ($403) Khttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (2 players)
Final Pot: $403
Villain had AJo
Of course, this is just fun. I woulda bet more but I really wanted to show down.
PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $2 BB (6 handed) Hand History Converter Tool from FlopTurnRiver.com (Format: FlopTurnRiver)
BB ($302.90)
UTG ($77.55)
Hero ($188.65)
CO ($132.30)
Button ($127.60)
SB ($332.30)
Preflop: Hero is MP with Qhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif.
UTG calls $2, Hero raises to $6, 4 folds, UTG calls $4.
Flop: ($15) Ahttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif, Jhttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...iles/spade.gif, 6http://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...es/diamond.gif (2 players)
UTG bets $4, Hero calls $4.
Turn: ($23) Khttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif (2 players)
UTG checks, Hero checks.
River: ($23) Thttp://www.flopturnriver.com/phpBB2/...miles/club.gif (2 players)
UTG bets $8, Hero raises to $24, UTG calls $16.
Final Pot: $71
Villain had j10o
